Deck 22 Flashcards
anon
soon or in the near future
- ‘See you anon.’
honcho
the person in charge
- ‘Who’s the head honcho around here?’
to pontificate
to speak or write and give your opinion about something as if you knew everything about it and as if only your opinion was correct
- ‘I think it should be illegal for non-parents to pontificate about parenting.’
to tramp
walk heavily or noisily
a tramp
a person with no home, job, or money who travels around and asks for money from other people
a clearance
official permission for something or the state of having satisfied the official conditions of something
- ‘To visit the prison, you’ll need security clearance.’
Godspeed
used to wish someone good luck when they are setting out on a journey
- ‘Farewell and Godspeed, the general said, ending his speech.’
to drill in/into
to tell someone something repeatedly to make them remember it
- ‘It was drilled into us at an early age that we should always say “please” and “thank you”.’
taxing
difficult or needing a lot of thought or effort
roger
used in radio communications to mean that a message has been received and understood
- ‘You are clear to land. Roger, I’m coming in to land now.’
clandestine
planned or done in secret, especially describing something that is not officially allowed
- ‘The group held weekly clandestine meetings in a church.’
God-ordained (adj.)
taki jak Bóg przykazał
- ‘a God-ordained marriage’
overarching
comprehensive or all-embracing
- ‘a single overarching principle’
an emcee
a person whose job is to introduce performers in a television, radio, or stage show (MC - master of ceremonies)
a swatch
a small piece of cloth used as an example of the colour and type of the cloth
cognitive
connected with thinking or conscious mental processes
subsequent
happening after something else
a novelty
something that has not been experienced before and so is interesting
- ‘Tourists are still a novelty on this remote island.’
spry
(especially of an old person) active; lively
bogus
false, not real, or not legal
incorrigible
An incorrigible person or incorrigible behaviour is bad and impossible to change or improve
frailty [U]
weakness and lack of health or strength
to hit pay dirt
to succeed, esp. financially
- ‘He hit pay dirt with his next movie, which grossed $270 million worldwide.’
to ruminate
to think carefully and for a long period about something
to sizzle
to make a sound like food cooking in hot fat
to fizzle
to make a feeble hissing sound
to sputter
to make several quick explosive sounds
of one’s ilk
of a particular type
- ‘The worst of her criticism was reserved for journalists, photographers, and others of their ilk.’
incongruous
unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening
- ‘The new computer looked incongruous in the dark book-filled library.’
a foretaste [S]
something that gives you an idea of what something else is like by allowing you to experience a small example of it before it happens
booming
having a period of great prosperity or rapid economic growth
equine
relating to or affecting horses or other members of the horse family
bovine
relating to or affecting cows or other members of the cow family
to simmer
If a disagreement or negative emotion simmers, it grows slowly stronger over a period of time and could become more serious at any moment
- ‘The strike has been simmering for weeks.’
fazed
worried; disturbed
disconcerted
worried by something and uncertain
a tenant
a person who pays rent for the use of land or a building
a loophole
a small mistake in an agreement or law that gives someone the chance to avoid having to do something
to scamper
When small children and animals scamper, they run with small quick steps
prowess [U]
great ability or skill
- ‘He’s always boasting about his sexual prowess.’
to forage
to go from place to place searching for things that you can eat or use
- ‘The children had been living on the streets, foraging for scraps.’
the computation
the action of mathematical calculation
- ‘methods of computation’
sustenance [U]
food and drink regarded as a source of strength; nourishment
galling
annoying
reproachful
expressing criticism
a squall
a sudden strong wind or short storm
to encase
to cover or surround something or someone completely
indignation
anger about a situation that you think is wrong or not fair
to divert
to cause something or someone to change direction
a crate
- a cage with a bed that a dog stays in when the owners are not home
- a box used to transport the goods
unambiguous
expressed in a way that makes it completely clear what is meant
pre-emptive
If something is pre-emptive, it is done before other people can act, especially to prevent them from doing something else
to tap into sth
to manage to use something in a way that brings good results
- ‘If only we could tap into all that energy and creativity.’
to enmesh
to involve someone in something unpleasant or dangerous from which it is difficult to escape
- ‘She has become enmeshed in a tangle of drugs and petty crime.’
a tinge
a very slight amount of a colour or of a feeling
- ‘His hair is starting to show tinges of grey.’
- ‘I felt a tinge of regret that I hadn’t accepted her offer.’
to stomach
to be able to accept an unpleasant idea or watch something unpleasant
lurid
(especially of a description) shocking because involving violence, sex, or immoral activity
a morass
an extremely complicated and difficult to deal with situation
- ‘She would become lost in a morass of lies and explanations.’
perky
happy and full of energy
a tearoom
a small restaurant where beverages and light meals are served
to put on airs
to act better than one really is
an intrusion
an unwelcome visit, trespassing
- ‘an intrusion on one’s privacy’
a pinafore (inf. pinny)
a piece of clothing worn by women over the front of other clothes to keep them clean while cooking or doing other work in the house
beatific
feeling or expressing blissful happiness
torturous
characterized by, involving, or causing pain or suffering
coarse
rough or harsh in texture
to pull off
- to succeed in doing something that is difficult
2. if a vehicle or driver pulls off a road, they stop by the side of it
an altercation
a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public
an inmate
a person who is kept in a prison or a hospital for people who are mentally ill
chipper
cheerful and lively
closure [U]
the feeling or act of bringing an unpleasant situation, time, or experience to an end, so that you are able to start new activities
a moniker
a name
- ‘His real moniker is Dave Kennedy.’
a task force
a group of people who are brought together to do a particular job, or a large military group who have a military aim to achieve
a trollop
a sexually disreputable or promiscuous woman
grouchy
easily annoyed and complaining
to hit the sack
to go to bed in order to sleep
- ‘I’ve got a busy day tomorrow, so I think I’ll hit the sack.’
stupendous
extremely impressive, causing astonishment or wonder
a rapport [ra-pohr]
a close and harmonious relationship in which the people concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well
a cadaver
a corpse
verbatim (adv.)
using exactly the same words as were originally used
- ‘She had an amazing memory and could recall verbatim quite complex conversations.’
an ottoman
a piece of furniture like a long box with a soft top, that you can use to store things in or to sit on
* also: pouffe
sundry [suhn-dree]
of various kinds; several
- ‘A teenager emptying out his backpack at the end of the school year might find sundry items at the bottom, meaning that the backpack was filled with a random collection of unrelated things.’
an expletive
a word that is considered offensive
a deadbeat
a person who is not willing to work, does not behave in a responsible way, and does not fit into ordinary society
breadth [breth]
the distance from one side to another
- ‘The length of this box is twice its breadth.’
ardour [U]
great enthusiasm or love
- ‘His ardour for her cooled after only a few weeks.’
a mane
thick, long hair on a person’s head
aforementioned
mentioned earlier
also: aforesaid
to glaze
If your eyes glaze or glaze over, they stay still and stop showing any emotion because you are bored or tired or have stopped listening
personal effects
privately owned items (such as clothing and jewellery) normally worn or carried on the person
a toot
slang for fart
a scythe
a tool with a long, sharp, curved blade and a long handle held in two hands, used especially to cut long grass
a cuckold
a man whose wife deceives him by having a sexual relationship with another man
to curb
to control or limit something that is not wanted:
- ‘The government should act to curb tax evasion.’
tumultuous
very loud, or full of confusion, change, or uncertainty
- ‘After the tumultuous events of 1990, Europe was completely transformed.’
a barbell
a long bar with a weight on each end that you lift up and down to make your arm and shoulder muscles stronger
a connotation
an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
- ‘The word ‘discipline’ has unhappy connotations of punishment and repression.’
pulses
seeds such as beans or peas that are cooked and eaten
a testament
proof
- ‘The detail of her wildlife paintings is (a) testament to (= proof of) her powers of observation.’
pivotal
central and important
- ‘a pivotal figure/role/idea’
